Dimethyl Ether (DME)

Dimethyl ether (DME), or methoxymethane, can be substituted for diesel fuel and is far less polluting. It can also be used as an LPG additive. Currently being evaluated, it can be synthesized from coal, natural gas and especially biomass (bio-DME), which makes it more environmentally friendly than the conventional diesel produced by oil refineries. DME is a gas under normal pressure and temperature, which means that it has to be liquefied for transportation and storage, like propane or butane. Chemically, DME is the simplest of the ether oxides.